TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Argentina had to work hard before securing a spot in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The defending champions defeated debutant Cape Verde 3-2 after extra time in the round of 32 match at Miami Stadium on Saturday, July 4, Indonesian time.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring for Argentina, but Cape Verde managed to equalize twice through Deroy Duarte and Sidny Lopes Cabral. Argentina ultimately secured the victory thanks to goals from Lisandro Martinez and an own goal by Diney Borges in extra time.
Argentina was dominant from the beginning of the match. Messi threatened Cape Verde's goal several times, but the impressive performance of goalkeeper Vozinha prevented those opportunities from turning into goals.
Argentina finally took the lead in the 29th minute. Lisandro Martinez delivered a high pass that Messi finished with a powerful kick. La Albiceleste led 1-0.
Cape Verde showed more courage after the break. Their efforts paid off in the 59th minute when Deroy Duarte capitalized on Ryan Mendes's pass and shot the ball into the bottom left corner of Emiliano Martínez's goal. The score changed to 1-1.
Argentina continued to press for the winning goal. Several of Messi's chances were thwarted by Vozinha, who performed impressively under Cape Verde's goal. The long-awaited goal finally came at the beginning of extra time. Starting from a corner kick by Alexis Mac Allister, Lisandro Martinez unleashed a powerful shot into Vozinha's goal. Argentina led once again, 2-1, in the 92nd minute.
The lead vanished again in the 103rd minute. Sidny Lopes Cabral scored a beautiful goal with a shot from outside the penalty box that found the back of Emiliano Martinez's goal. The score was tied again at 2-2.
Just when the game seemed to be heading to a penalty shootout, Argentina instead got the decider in the 111th minute. Attempting to clear a corner kick, Cape Verde defender Diney Borges inadvertently redirected the ball from Christian Romero's header into the net. Argentina led 3-2.
Cape Verde still had one last chance through a free-kick by Sidny Lopes Cabral in the 116th minute. However, Emiliano Martinez made a brilliant save to preserve Argentina's lead until the final whistle.
Throughout the match, Argentina was dominant with 64 percent ball possession and 22 shots, 10 of which were on target. Meanwhile, Cape Verde recorded 13 attempts with five shots on goal.
This victory secured Argentina's spot in the round of 16 for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Cape Verde's historic debut in the tournament ended in the round of 32.
Egypt Knocks Out Australia
Argentina will face Egypt in the round of 16. Egypt advanced to this stage by defeating Australia 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the round of 32 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Both teams were tied 1-1 until the end of 120 minutes. Egypt took the lead first through Emam Ashour in the 13th minute, before Australia equalized with an own goal by Mohamed Hany in the 55th minute.
In the penalty shootout, Egypt remained calmer. Two Australian penalty takers, Harry Souttar and Lucas Harrington, failed in their attempts, allowing The Pharaohs to win 4-2 and advance to the round of 16.
During regulation time, Australia threatened first with a shot by Cristian Volpato that hit the post. After taking the lead through Ashour, Egypt nearly doubled their lead through Omar Marmoush, but the opportunity failed to result in a goal.
Australia then leveled the score with an own goal by Mohamed Hany. Egypt continued to press until the end of regular time and extra time, but chances from Rami Rabia and Mohamed Salah failed to change the score.
The game was ultimately decided in the penalty shootout. Egypt scored four goals, while Australia only scored two after Souttar and Harrington missed their shots. This victory set up a meeting between Egypt and Argentina in the round of 16.
Read: Switzerland Beat Algeria 2-0 to Reach World Cup Round of 16
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
2026 World Cup Preview: Defending Champions Argentina Take on Debutants Cape Verde
1 hari lalu
Argentina advances to the round of 32 with a perfect record in the 2026 World Cup, while Cape Verde remains unbeaten as a debutant.
Cape Verde's Fairytale World Cup Debut Is Far From Over
6 hari lalu
Cape Verde will face the defending champion Argentina in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup in Miami on July 3.
2026 World Cup: Full List of Teams Qualified and Eliminated
8 hari lalu
The 2026 World Cup sends the 12 group winners and 12 runners-up directly to the Round of 32, while the eight best third-placed teams also advance.
Ronaldo Welcomes Possible World Cup Duel Against Messi
9 hari lalu
Cristiano Ronaldo welcomes a potential 2026 World Cup knockout clash with Lionel Messi after scoring twice in Portugal's 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan.
Lionel Messi's World Cup Records and Achievements: Full List
10 hari lalu
Lionel Messi has added to his growing list of World Cup records after delivering another standout performance for Argentina at the 2026 tournament.
Messi on Missed Penalty vs. Austria: 'Maybe I Wouldn't Have Scored More'
10 hari lalu
Lionel Messi turned a missed penalty into a brace as Argentina beat Austria 2-0 in their 2026 World Cup Group J match.
World Cup Roundup: Messi Breaks Scoring Record as Argentina Beat Austria 2-0, Mbappe Inspires France 3-0 Win Over Iraq
11 hari lalu
Lionel Messi scores two goals as Argentina defeats Austria in the 2026 World Cup, while Kylian Mbappe scored twice to lead France to 3-0 win over Iraq
World Cup Preview: Argentina Face Austria's High-Pressing Challenge
11 hari lalu
Both teams enter the match on the back of opening wins and will be seeking another three points to strengthen their knockout-stage chances.
Lionel Messi Makes History as First Man to Play at 6 World Cups
16 hari lalu
Lionel Messi cemented his legacy by becoming the first male footballer to appear in six World Cups during Argentina's victory over Algeria.
Why Did Messi Cry After Scoring in Argentina's World Cup Opener?
16 hari lalu
Apart from scoring his first hat-trick in the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi became the first player to appear in six editions of the tournament.
:strip_icc():format(jpeg)/kly-media-production/medias/5414491/original/012054700_1763287155-530668458_18471777553074306_380593477510268437_n__1_.jpg)
:strip_icc():format(jpeg):watermark(kly-media-production/assets/images/watermarks/bola/watermark-color-landscape-new.png,1125,20,0)/kly-media-production/medias/6007179/original/011565500_1778899711-20260512BL_Portrait_John_Herdman_24.jpg)
